Envelope fastener means



Jan. 20, 1953 w. H. M CONNAUGHY ENVELOPE FASTENER MEANS Filed Nov. '7, 1949 In ventor Walter H. McConnaug/ry Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENVELOPE FASTENER MEANS Walter H. McOonnaughy, Washington, D. 0.

Application November 7, 1949, Serial No. 125,960

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to self-adjusting envelope fastener means of the type shown in the United States patent to P. L. Andrews, Number 1,788,418, January 13, 1931, wherein a disc-like button is riveted to the envelope body, and a longitudinally slotted fastener tab is secured to and projects downwardly from the envelope closure flap for engagement under and adjustment relative to said button, whereby the closure 1 flap will be secured in closed position regardless of the thickness of the enclosures inserted within the envelope.

The device of the above-named patent was found objectionable because of the difficulty encountered in engaging the tab under and disengaging the same from under the button by passing the latter laterally through the slot oi.v the tab, and because of damage caused by repeatably flexing the tab and button in securing and releasing the tab. The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the above objection by providing a substantially T- shaped slot in the tab, the cross portion of said slot being relatively narrow and of a length slightly greater than the diameter of the button so that the tab may be readily engaged under or disengaged from under the button by mere longitudinal movement of the tab relative to the button and without flexing the button or the tab.

Another object is to provide the tab with an outwardly embossed secant-sh-aped portion at the top of the cross portion of its slot to facilitate the movement of the tab under or from under the button to fasten or unfasten the tab, to minimize the required length of the longitudinal portion of the slot, and to cover and protect the upper portion of the button when the tab is fastened and the enclosures of the envelope are relatively thin.

The nature of the present improvement and other features thereof will become apparent from the following description when considered with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear view, partly broken away, of an envelope provided with the present fastener means, the parts being disposed as they appear when the envelope enclosures are relatively thin;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the parts disposed as they appear when the enclosures are relatively thick;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the fastener tab; and

2 V Figure 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates an envelope body having the usual closure flap 6 at its open end.

Secured to the back wall of the envelope body' 5 below the flap 6 is a disc-like button I, the securing means preferably consisting of a tubular rivet 8 passing through the center of the button.

Secured to the free end of the flap B is a depending fastener tab 9 disposed in alignment with button 1 and provided in its lower portion with a substantially T-shaped slot having a relatively wide main portion l 0 extending longitudinally of the tab and a relatively narrow upper cross portion II in the form of a slit extending transversely of the tab and of a length slightly greater than the diameter of button I. The tab 9 may be an independent part attached to flap 6 by a tubular rivet l2. At the top of the cross portion ll of the slot in the tab 9, the latter is provided with an outwardly embossed or offset semi-circular portion l3. Sector-shaped portions M at the intersection of the slot portions l0 and H are rounded and pressed or embossed inwardly so as to readily ride under the button 1 as the tab is moved upwardly.

In use, the tab 9 is disposed so that the button is located just above the cross portion ll of the slot in said tab, whereupon the tab is moved upwardly to cause the rivet 8 to enter the main slot portion l0 and the button I to pass through the slot portion H, the inwardly embossed portions ll of the tab at opposite sides of the upper end of slot portion [0 riding under the button 1. When the enclosures within the envelope are thin, the tab 9 is only moved upwardly until the upper portion of button I is engaged under the embossed portion l3 of the tab as shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the enclosures are relatively thick, the tab is moved upwardly to a further extent, in accordance with the thickness of said enclosures, to give suflicient width at the fold l4 between the envelope body and the flap to accord with the expansion of said body, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. It will be seen that the tab is merely moved upwardly to engage it under the button, and that said tab need only be moved downwardly to disengage it from under the button, thereby avoiding destructive flexing of the tab and/or the button, and expediting and promoting the ease of fastening and unfastening the closure flap. A relatively short slot portion l0 may be used because the upper portion of button 1 is positioned under the embossed portion [3 and extends through slot portion II when the v 3 rivet 8 is disposed in the upper end of slot portion H). The tab 9 may be readily and cheaply formed, and it possesses all the advantages of the usual tab which is merely slotted longitudinally, in addition to the added advantages pointed out above.

Having described the advantages, what is claimed as new is:

An envelope comprising front and rear panels, a closure flap on the front panel, a button, a rivet securing the button to the rear panel of the envelope, a tab on the free edge of the closure flap having a longitudinal slot in its free end portion for slidably accommodating the rivet and further having a transverse slit therein at the inner end of the slot and communicating therewith for the reception of the button, said tab including an outwardly offset segmental portion inwardly of and adjacent the slit adapted to overlie the button and further including inwardly offset,

flexible segmental portions outwardly of and adjacent the slit on opposite sides of the slot and adapted to underlie the button.

WALTER, H. MCCONNAUGHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 418,688 Converse Jan. 7, 1890 718,948 Green Jan. 20, 1903 1,788,418 Andrews Jan. 13, 1931 1,851,730 Rutherford Mar. 29, 1932 1,953,852 Gr-ay Apr. 3, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,821 Great Britain June 27, 1885 

